Snare-drum.



I. H. sAPP.

SNARE DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1911.

, 1,032,508. Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Witnesses Inventor v c Attorneys I. H. SAPP.

SNARE DRUM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1911.

- Patented July 16, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inventor by W Attorneys Witness GTON. D. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

ISAAC HUDSON SAPP, 0F CHEYENNE, WYOMING.

SNARE-DRUM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. SAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cheyenne, in the county of Laramie and State of lVyoming, have invented a new and useful Snare-Drum, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in snare drums, the primary object of the invention being the provision of a new method of applying the snares to a drum to produce a very sensitive drum for orchestra and general use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vertically adjustable hoop carrying a series of snares whereby the terminals of the snares are beyond the periphery of and the bodies of the snares above the drumhead, whereby the snares may be lifted at will from contact with the snare head to produce a mufliing and tom-tom or Indian drum effect.

As a preliminary explanation and to more clearly understand and appreciate the advantages of the present invention the use and operation of snares in drums will first be discussed. When the batter head of a snare drum is struck, the head vibrates, moving the column of air within the drum, thus transmitting the concussion to the snare head at the opposite end of the drum. The snares lying fiat against this latter head are driven away therefrom, and in returning to their original position produce a snap against the snare head. By experiments it has been found that the snares to be the most efficient, efiective and sensitive, should not pull down upon the head, as generally applied, but that such snares should pull perfectly straight across the head and throughout their entire length, and that the snares should be as long as possible. The greater the downward pressure of the snares against the head, and the shorter the snares, the more dilficult it becomes and the greater the blow required to drive them from the head. This action may be more fully demonstrated by taking a line and stretching it between two points, one end of the line being fast and the other held by a weight,which holds the line taut. The greater the distance between the supporting points, the greater the easerequired to lift the line at its center, and therefore the greater the distance of vibration as Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1911.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Serial No. 630,736.

will be presently shown by illustrations. To accomplish this efiect in snare drums is the main object of this invention.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of the snare end of a drum with only one snare shown. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the snare head end of a drum, showing the positioning of the snares and their support. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the snare hoop. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the casing through which the snares are stretched, which is secured diametrically opposite to each other on the said snare hoop. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the snare tightener. Fig. 6 is a cross section showing a modified method of attaching this invention to an ordinary drum. Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the purpose of this invention.

I Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the shell of a drum, and 2 the snare head thereof, the snare hoop 3, as shown being of greater width than the snare hoop is generally made so that the greater portion thereof will project beyond the outer face of the snare head, and is provided with the diametrically opposite rectangular openings 4t and 4:, providing the consequent narrow strips 5 and 5, at the top and bottom edges thereof. Upon the exterior of the hoop below the strip 5, and extending circumferentially of the hoop is a groove 8, in which is fitted a wire 3, by means of which the snare head 2 is properly secured to be brought to the desired tautness over the shell. WVhen the usual tightening devices are operated, the hoop 8 will be drawn down upon and around the shell, and for that reason the openings 4': and 4, must be necessarily wide, so that the snares 9, cannot be brought into touch with the upper edges of said openings in hoop 3. To reinforce the hoop 3 at the openings 4 and 4, the casings 7 provided with rectangular channels (3, therethrough are provided, and each one of said casings has its curved portion 8 in contact, by gluing or by means of screws, with the hoops 3, around the openings 1- and 4, so that channels 6 will aline with said openings. By this means a varied adjustment may be given the snares 9, through the openings 4L and a and the channels 6, of the casings 7.

The outer ends of the casing 7 are reduced, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4t, and in the lower walls thereof is provided a transverse bore a, through which is adapted to pass the adjusting screw 18, whose outer ends are slidably mounted in the slots 17 of the right-angled flanges 17, of the snare carrying plates 10 and 13, respectively. By this means the plates may be adjusted vertically, so that their horizontal snare receiving slots 11, may be moved at the desired point or elevation within the margins of the channels (5 or the casings 7.

Carried by the plate 10, is a snare anchoring strip or button 10, to which one end of the snare 9 is secured, said snare passing through the slot 11, of the plate, through the channels (3 of the two casings 7 and consequently the openings i and a of the hoop 3, and thence through the slot 11 of the plate 13, where it is engaged by the clamp 16 of the snare tightener 16, which as shown is pivoted to the plate 13, so that the snare may be tightened and held at any desired adjustment, or lifted entirely free from the head in muflling the drum.

As shown in Fig. 6, the invention is applied to an ordinary snare drum, in which case, the head 23 is carried by the snare hoop 20, the blocks 21 and plates 24L carrying the snare 23, which is held by the clamp 25 as above described. In this case, the hoop 20 is stretched far down over the shell and the snares 23, pass straight across the top of said hoop 20, the plate 24: being vertically adjustable to regulate the relative position of the snares to the head 23, similarly to the snare hoop 3 in the main form.

In the diagram as shown in Fig. 7, the supports are placed farther apart than in Fig. 8, and between these points is suspended a taut line, by means of a weight, as indicated. Although both weights in said oiagrams are exactly the same, the line in Fig. 7, is more easily lifted at its center, and therefore will give a greater vibration, while in Fig. 8, it will be more difficult to raise the line in the center, the dotted lines in each diagram illustrating the ease and distance of vibrations of the respective lines. It will therefore be seen. that by the construction herein shown, the use of snares, as in the diagram of Fig. 7, is accomplished, thus giving perfectly straight snares, and ones that are much longer than the diameter of the drum, thus making it necessary to produce the openings a and 1, in the snare hoop 3, and also the provision of the channeled casings 7, with their respective snare carrying adjustable plates mounted at the outer ends of the casings.

It is therefore evident that in order to produce the aim of this invent-ion, that this present arrangement of the shell 1, hoop 3, casings 7 and the adjustable plates 10 and 13 is desirable, thus enabling the use of perfectly straight and considerably longer snares, said snares being longer than the width of the diameter of the drum body, and yet not extending too far out beyond the hoop. By enlarging the hoop 3, not only is the length of the snares increased, but the tone of the instrument is improved, as this arrangement prevents the hoop and its tightening mechanism from hearing against the body of the drum. It is also possible to dispense with the casings and projections 21, by making the hoops 3 and 20, respectively of a greater diameter than the shell of the drum so that the greater part of the extra length of the snares will be inside of the opening of the hoop, thus giving to the drum a neater appearance with practically no projections beyond the periphery there of. The hoop in this instance, herein, being of the proper depth or width to pro vide for the raising and lowering of the snares and for the tightening or loosening thereof by use of anchors carried by the hoop.

lVhat is claimed. is

1. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings therethrough, snares passing therethrough, two extension carried bodily by the hoop adjacent each opening thereof, and adjustable means connected exteriorly of and to the outer end of each extension of the snare hoop adjacent the respective openings of the hoop to receive the respective terminals of the snares and hold them within the openings of the hoop to permit a latitude of adj ustment of said means and the snares without contacting the hoop.

2. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings therethrough, snares passing therethrough, two hollow casings carried by the hoop to coincide with the respective snare openings, and adjustable means connected exteriorly of and to the outer ends of said casings to receive the respective terminals of the snares and hold them within the openings of the hoop and through the casings to permit a latitude of adjustment of the snares within the openings of the hoop and the casings to hold the snares suspended at the proper distance from the drum head regardless of the position of the hoop thereupon.

3. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings thereterminal means connected to the outer faces of each projection adjacent the openings to anchor both terminals of the snares beyond the outer face of the hoop, whereby the bodies of the snares are within the openings of and a portion thereof slightly beyond the outer faces of the hoop.

4. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings there through, snares passing through said openings, two outwardly extending projections adjacent the openings of the hoop secured exteriorly to and carried by said hoop, and snare terminal anchors adjustably connected to and carried by the outer ends of said projections for anchoring the terminals of the snares beyond the outer ends of the projections with the body portions of the snares across the drum and through the openings of the hoop.

5. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings therethrough, snares passing through said openings, two outwardly extending projections adjacent the openings of the hoop secured exteriorly to and carried by said hoop, and adjustably mounted snare terminal anchors connected to and bodily carried by the outer ends of said projections for anchoring the terminals of the snares beyond the outer ends of the projections with the body portions of the snares suspended across the drum and through the openings of and out of contact with the hoop.

6. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings therethrough, snares passing through said openings, two outwardly projecting hollow casings carried exteriorly of and by the hoop, said openings of the hoopbeing alined with the hollow portion of the casings, and snare terminal anchors adjustably fitting across the outer ends of the casings and anchoring the snares suspended across the drum and within the opening of the hoop and hollow portions of the casings.

7. A snare drum, having a snare hoop with relatively wide snare openings therethrough, snares passing through said openings, outwardly projecting hollow casings carried eXteriorly of and by the hoop, said openings of the hoop being alined with the hollow portions of the casings, and two snare terminal anchoring plates adjustably secured to the outer ends of the casings and anchoring the terminals of the snares with the body portions thereof suspended across and out of contact with the drum and the walls of the openings of the hoop and hollow portions of the casings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC HUDSON SAPP.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. KNIGHT, FRANK MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

